


The Crying Breakfast Friends Club

by MentallyDisturbedLlama



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bad Parenting, Bullying, Child Abuse, Cliques, Crying, Crying Breakfast Friends, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Homophobia, Human, Human Gems (Steven Universe), Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Inferiority Complex, Lots of Crying, Orphans, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), Peer Pressure, Sexism, Siblings, Single Parents, Traditions, diamonds are sisters, its steven universe what did you expect
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:47:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22312741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MentallyDisturbedLlama/pseuds/MentallyDisturbedLlama
Summary: CryingThey had all been crying when he'd found them~~~~~~~~~~An SU high school AU where the gems are just normal high school students.~~~~~~~~~~Steven Universe is a popular, happy kid in a not so happy school. Somehow, he has the ability to befriend people previously un-befriendable.  Each one of them has a story to tell, and Steven wants to help them finish that story with a happy ending.
Relationships: Amethyst/Pearl (Steven Universe), Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe, Lars Barriga/Sadie Miller, Rose Quartz/Greg Universe, Ruby/Sapphire (Steven Universe)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 72





	1. A Happy Place

Beach City High was not a happy place.

BCH had been rated one of the highest rated high schools in the entire state. Although it was a public school, nearly every students’ grades flew through the roof. In fifteen years, not one student from the senior class hadn’t been able to graduate with their peers. In fifteen years, not one student had ever had to repeat a class the following year after failing it their first.

Everyone had a friend in BCH. Whether it be just one or everyone, each student had a friend group. A clique.

An exclusive clique.

Usually, these cliques would have already evolved in middle school, and carried into freshman year. Everyone stayed in their cliques- their safe space. Very few were brave enough to journey outside that comfort zone. Those that tried talking to others were usually beat back into their place.

An exclusive clique, because it was so incredibly hard to get into one you hadn’t belonged to from the beginning.

That’s the way it was in Beach City High.

The jocks stayed with the jocks, the pretty girls stayed with the pretty girls, the nerds stayed with the nerds, the emos stayed with the emos.

The Crying Breakfast Friends stayed with the Crying Breakfast Friends.

However, the Crying Breakfast Friends was a different kind of clique. It was something that hadn’t been seen in BCH in fifteen years. The Crying Breakfast Friends were not an exclusive clique.

They were always welcoming new members.

The founder was a freshman boy named Steven Universe. Most people didn’t believe that was his real surname, but he assured them it was. It was on his birth certificate and everything. Steven was a strange boy in BCH, for more reasons than just his unique last name. 

Firstly, he was loud. Not a lot of students in BCH were loud. Class clowns were still a thing- that was something no high school could escape. But Steven was the class clowniest. It was such a rare ability, to make all of your peers laugh, no matter the class or situation. Steven could even pull a chuckle from the quietest of basket cases.

Secondly, he was friendly. Not just to his own little friend group, but to everyone else in BCH. In fifteen years, Steven Universe was the only student who’d come through BCH that could manage to get close to someone outside his usual posse. The cool kids, the mean girls, the jocks- every welcomed Steven no matter where he went.

Steven was a people person. That’s just who he was.

Steven Universe had build up a clique of three friends during his short time in high school so far.

There was Emma Corcoran, also a freshmen. A short, stout girl with chestnut skin and long hair she’d once dyed purple that had faded into a light lavender color. Her eyes were a deep brown that looked violet in certain lightings. Emma was a playful type of girl, loving her low-cut tank tops and short jean shorts and showing bra straps. Dress code was not a law that she abided by. It was a rule she’d broken so many times teachers didn’t even try to report her anymore. It’s like she’d stop. Emma was the sort of person who had very little to care about.

The complete opposite was June Seaver, a junior. June was a tall, thin girl with blonde hair as light as her vanilla skin. She had a sharp face- sharp eyes, sharp chin, sharp nose. And she was a sharp person. Even her short light hair was styled up in such a way that made it appear sharp, settling over bright, baby blue eyes. She was a beautiful girl, prone to her pink blouses and pale skirts. Yet, unlike other pretty girls in BCH, she had no interest in mingling with the pretty boys. Love was not something June often worried about. Being one of BCH’s top performing students left no room for such trivial things.

Steven had also managed to befriend two other BCH juniors. The first was similar to June, being a straight A, intelligent student. Skylar Gorman was a logical, soft spoken girl with long wavy chestnut-colored hair that always seemed to fall over her dark blue eyes. Her posture was, at all times, perfect in her blue dresses. She stood up straight, and did not smile, during class. She was nearly as much as a teacher’s pet as June, always ready to answer each and every question.

However, unlike June, Skylar did find time in her busy and successful schedule for love.

Skylar’s girlfriend was a girl named Amelia Rossi. Amelia was a sturdy girl, with fire red hair and java skin. Her brown eyes burned with the fire of defiance- or perhaps love. There wasn’t a difference with people like Amelia and Skylar. Even more so than Emma, Amelia was a troublemaker. She kicked up her feet during class, took her time in the hallways- the school bell was not a concern to her. If Skylar wasn’t with her, she was off fighting so condescending jerk who’d make a sly comment or glared at her in the hallway.

Although they were all different in one way or another, Steven had seen what made them similar. It was the namesake of their club and the reason why Steven had befriended all these girls in the first place.

Before school started each day, the school was required to serve breakfast to any students who wanted it or could pay for it. During this time had been when Steven had found each of his for friends.

Crying.

They had all been crying when he’d found them.

Off in corners by themselves, hiding under stairways, sitting in hallway closets. Sniffing, crying, sobbing. Over grades, over family, over friends, over love. Steven had found them in turmoil.

Steven wasn’t just a people person- he was a great people person. Somehow, he always found some way to calm them. Jokes, advice, a hug. It was just a talent of his.

Now, every morning, Steven sat with his group of friends at a table in the left-most corner of the cafeteria. They’d talk and laugh until the first bell rang and they were whisked their separate ways for first period. Then, after school, any day they could, they’d meet at the beach. Often, they did their school work together before packing the books away to play in the sand or splash through the water. When the sun was nearing the horizon, they’d all say goodbye and head home.

The cycle would repeat the next day.

It was a good life, when they were with each other.

When they weren’t...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven enjoys yet another day on the beach with his friends.

Every clique has a hangout spot. The Crying Breakfast Friends had two. The beach, and The Big Donut.

The Big Donut was Beach City’s version of “that place where teenagers go to sip coffee and sit on computers because there’s free wifi and the heater actually works.” It was a wonderful place.

Steven handled eight dollars to the girl behind the counter and she handed him a box filled with twelve donuts. Steven was well acquainted with this girl, as he was with most people. She was a senior. Her name was Sadie Miller, a stout girl with bouncy blonde hair and dark blue eyes. She’d been working at The Big Donut since as long as Steven could remember. He didn’t think he knew who’d worked the counter before her- or if anyone had.

A lanky, tanned boy stood behind her, reaching up with long arms to restock one of the many displays holding glazed donuts. He wore black gages in his ears. Steven also knew this boy. He did remember when Lars Barigga had gotten a job at The Big Donut. He’d seen Lars at school before, but had never gotten the chance to talk to him until he’d gotten his first job. He’d grown close to Lars since then.

Lars had been less enthusiastic.

“You know,” Sadie commented as Steven brought the box of donuts to his chest. “I don’t think I’ve never known such a small group of people who can eat an entire box of donuts it just one day.”

Steven’s smile didn’t falter. “Most of them are for Emma,” he said. “She usually has half of them eaten before I can pull out the paper towels.”

Lars looked over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow while Sadie just laughed. “Nice one, Steven,” she said. She thought Steven was joking.

Steven was not joking.

He said his friendly farewells to his two favorite donut workers before pushing the door open and stepping out into the sunshine. He breathed in the fresh air, shoulders heaving dramatically, before taking off down the street.

Beach City was a small but sunny town off the west coast of America. It overlooked the ocean, water stretching all the way to the horizon.

Steven looked up. The sun was drooping slightly, but had not come close to touching the horizon yet. The others would be gathering at their meeting spot soon- or were already there. He hoped there weren’t all there yet. He liked to be the first to welcome them.

The beach wasn’t an exclusively private place. Steven could put a name to every face he passed along the soft sand. Joggers, volleyball players, surfers, all of whom flocked to the sandy beach from the hours of twelve to five or six- depending on when the sun decided to go to sleep. Steven greeted each of them with a fond smile and a gentle wave.

There was, however, one part of the beach, that only the Crying Breakfast Friends called their own. The hot spot was behind a large, overhanging cliff that overlooked the ocean on the far side of the beach. Here, in the shade of the cliff, was what they called their own. It was a shelter of some sort- a safe place.

As Steven neared the meeting spot, he could glimpse a figure sitting in the shadows of the cliff. He recognized her right away; Skylar had already arrived.

Steven came to sit beside her, crossing his legs and sitting the box of donuts on his lap. “Hey, Sky,” he greeted. He watched her face closely. Behind the wavy bangs that covered her face, blue eyes were staring out across the ocean. Her long hair fell all the way to the sandy ground, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“Hello, Steven,” Skylar greeted coolly. Her voice revealed her patient and calm personality. Skylar did not falter easily. It was strange that she got along so when with someone like Amelia, a burning ball of fire.

Steven and Skylar didn’t need to say anything else after that. Skylar liked her quiet, and Steven was aware of that. He let her sit in peace while he pulled out a sprinkled donut and began to eat.

It didn’t take long for the rest of the club to show up. Emma and Amelia came first, traveling together. They lived on the same block, so it was common for them to walk together. They got along rather well, although Steven feared whenever they hung out too much. It always ended with one or both of them getting in trouble for something or other. They were a dangerous pair.

Amelia took a seat beside Skylar, sitting close together. Immediately, it was as if Skylar had sprung to life. She turned to Amelia with a smile, brushing the hair from her face, and pulling her backpack to the front of them. Rummaging around, she dug out a large textbook.

Amelia scoffed. “Really?” she growled playfully. “Straight to that?”

“Schoolwork comes first,” Skylar responded. She was not wrong- not even Amelia could argue with that. BCH found incomplete homework unacceptable. Such behavior would not be tolerated by one of the highest ranking schools in the state.

While Steven and Emma had their snack, Amelia and Skylar worked together on their schoolwork.

It look a bit longer for June to show up. She was often the last to stop by, having to go home quickly before coming all the way back across town. Emma was the first to see her, raising her arm up in greeting with a wide smile.

June, with a huff, sat down on the other side of Steven. “Hello,” she greeted them. “I hope I’m not too late.”

“Not at all,” Steven responded. He took out a chocolate-covered donut from the box- only three of them were left. Steven had had two- the rest belonged to Emma now. Steven thrust the donut towards June.

June held up a hand. “I’ll pass, Steven,” she said, waving his off. He puller her bag from of her shoulder. “Does anyone have Ms. Dietz’s work done yet?”

“Amelia was just working on it,” Skylar informed her.

Steven shared very few classes with his friends, but he knew June and Amelia were in the same math class. Their schedules were quite similar- even if Amelia skipped most classes.

Amelia didn’t usually get along with the authority figures at the school. She learned more from Skylar on the beach than she did riding a desk. Somehow, possibly by miracle, Amelia was passing classes.

A report card with all Ds and Cs was still passing, after all.

Every day was spent like this. June and Skylar would work together to help Amelia with what she missed throughout the day, Emma and Steven would do their own work- well, Steven would do work. Emma would eat the last of the sprinkles out of the donut box.

It was a system. It worked. None of them were failing a single class.

BCH did not allow that.

Once the sun looked like it was about to touch the blue water, they would pack up. It was getting late, and June had to be home at a certain time. Steven always felt bad meeting without her, so the club was adjourned for the day.

Steven walked home alone every day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These first few chapters are going to be a slow burn while I set up plot points. We'll get into the good stuff soon, though.
> 
> Also, a lot of these chapters are going to be one-shots, just showing how the characters interact and deal with their problems, kind of like how season one just focused on one adventure per episode. If you have any prompts or things you'd like to see, I'm always accepting ideas!
> 
> Comments, questions and concerns are always welcome.


	3. Cheeseburger Backpack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amelia tries to settle the score with the bullies who were picking on Steven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains homophobic language! If you're not comfortable with that, you can skip this chapter!

Steven was very proud of his recent purchase.

Fifty dollars for a novelty, limited edition backpack had been the best decision he’d made his entire life. It had taken him three months of saving up his allowance to afford the bag, and another two weeks for the package to arrive.

He wore it to school the very next day.

Steven was not an overly fashionable person. He was comfortable it whatever was comfortable. His daily attire consisted of a t-shirt, jeans and sandals. No one usually had a problem with it.

Today, Steven had added a special accessory to his casual clothing. A brand new, fresh out of the box cheeseburger shaped backpack laid snug over his shoulders. He walked to school with an extra excited skip in his step and wide grin from ear to ear.

“Well, someone’s excited,” Emma remarked as Steven approached her from down the street. Emma and Amelia lived on the same street, while Steven wasn’t too far away. They walked to school together every day, meeting up with the others during breakfast.

Emma and Amelia greeted him with fond smiles, Emma’s hands on her hips while Amelia’s were shoved into the pockets of her leather jacket.

“Notice anything different?” Steven prompted, bouncing to shake up the backpack’s contents.

Emma, jokingly, paced around Steven slowly, her hands behind her back. “Hmm,” she hummed. She came to stand behind him. “Ah! I’ve got it!” She jabbed a finger and pointed to the back of his head. “You cut your hair.”

Steven whirled around and shook his head. “Nope!”

“Really?” she question. “Then how did you get that bald spot?”

Steven’s hand jumped to the back of his head, his eyes wide. “Bald spot?” he wailed, feeling for where his hair had fallen out.

Emma laughed heartily. “I’m just messing with you, man,” she cooed. “Relax.”

Steven let his shoulders fall again, breathing out in relief. He knew, how day, his hair would start falling out like his dad’s, but he’d thought he’d have a few more years of youth left in him!

“That backpack looks pretty cool though,” Amelia piped up, her arms crossed. She turned to start heading to school. They couldn’t afford to be late.

Steven turned with a mouth-open smile, his brown eyes glittering like stars. “I know right!” he rushed to catch up with her, slowing as he neared her shoulder. 

Emma trailed behind, hands behind her head as she walked without a care in the world. The bell did not control her after all.

“I got to it just in time. On the website, it was in low stock!” Steven began. “I knew if I hadn’t bought it then, I’d never ever get another chance. It had to be destiny! So I clicked right away- well, actually, I had to add it to my wish list because I didn’t have enough money yet. But it finally came in the mail last night!”

Amelia walked along with a fond smile. She absorbed every word he said. It was nearly impossible to tune out something like Steven Universe, especially when his joy was so contagious.

And Amelia Rossi could have used some joy in her life.

Before long, the Beach City High School was in view. The flagpole stood tall and stagnant in the front of the building. Later in the day, the ocean would carry a breeze up to sway its large flag. For now, however, it would be still in the early morning dew.

Students were already beginning to file through the front door, heading to their normal morning handouts. A group of punk jocks stood in the grass of the front lawn- they weren’t supposed to, but it wasn’t like anyone was enforcing that.

Behavior wasn’t a big concern at BCH. Grades and ranks were the only things that mattered to the facility staff.

As the three friends approached the front door, one of the punk jocks raised their head and smirked. “Nice backpack, kid!” he shouted maliciously. “Where’d you buy it, at Toys R Us?”

“Why, thank you!” Steven called back, oblivious to their jeers. The punks began to laugh. “And no, I bought it on Red Bubble. If you wanted one, they’re out of stock now. Sorry.”

The punks laughed harder. Another one piped up, “I think my baby sister’s got that exact same backpack. She always did have shitty taste.”

“Back off, guys,” Amelia glowered. She knew they could be saying so much worse, but she wasn’t going to let Steven take this. He didn’t deserve that kind of treatment.

“Oooh, now the lady faggot’s gonna preach to us!” The first one called.

“Hey, Rossi, I saw your little girlfriend the other night. She looked pretty sexy on that pole!”

The boys broke into unrestrained howls of laughter. Amelia’s face went red with anger. She stopped in her tracks, fists clenching.

Emma grabbed her arm. “Come on, let’s go,” she murmured. They’d be late if they delayed much longer, and Skylar would not be happy if Amelia ended up in another fight so soon after the last one the other week.

Amelia froze, taking a deep breath. She dropped her gaze to the floor and followed Emma and Steven into the school.

The boys didn’t stop their jabs. “You know how they say you are what you eat?” one called to her. “I guess that’s why Rossi is such a pussy!”

Amelia turned on her heels. “I get more pussy than you, jerk!” she shouted angrily.

Emma quickly herded her through the front doors.

~~~~~~~~~~

“And they just kept going, even as we were walking away!” Emma growled. “The nerve of those guys. I’d like to give them a piece of my mind.”

The Crying Breakfast Friends sat around their usual morning table in the far corner. Emma had recalled the incident of the morning regarding Steven’s new backpack. June and Skylar listened intently.

“It’s in the past now,” Skylar said, putting a gentle hand on Amelia’s tensed shoulder. “It cannot be changed.”

Amelia was still tense from the incident. She didn’t think she deserved to be provoked so- Skylar and Steven definitely did not deserve it. She made herself relax, not wanting to worry Skylar any further.

But she was going to make sure those jerks never did this again.

~~~~~~~~~~

As the Crying Breakfast Friends had their place on the beach, the punk jocks had their place under one of the pavillions in the park. They sat there after school until the sun went down, laughing, smoking and heading down the street to the corner store to pick up snacks. Sometimes, they’d stay even after the world had turned dark. Sometimes, they’d be gone long before, off to hang out with girlfriends or one-night-stands.

Either way, Amelia knew she’d find them here.

They saw her coming long after she’d spotted them.

“Hey, the fag queens back!” The ringleader of their little group shouted to her. He jumped down from his perch on the wooden picnic table, dropping his cigarette butt to the ground and smashing it under his heel. “Need something, sugarpie?”

“I need you to leave me and my friends alone,” Amelia growled. She thrust her face up into his, muscles bulging under her long sleeve shirt.

The punk looked dejected, reeling back and putting a hand over his heart. “Are you accusing me of hurting that little band of misfits you call friends? I was just giving my opinion this morning. You’re little pet- what’s his name? Steven?- looked like a kid going to his first daycare. You were the one who got all mad.”

Amelia clenched her fist.

The punk smirked. “Oh did you get mad when I brought up pretty Skylar?” he paced around her slowly, observing her like a wild animal stuck in a cage. The other punks got up from where they laid about to circle her as well. “I meant what I said. I’d love to see her in my bed one night.”

“She’s not into people like you,” Amelia said coolly.

“But I could totally get into her,” he said. “Doesn’t she walk home alone? All the way across town- so far away from you.”

“Leave her out of this,” Amelia growled. “There’s no reason to be fighting.”

“What?” The punk looked genuinely surprised. “I thought you were all for fighting, Rossi. You sure showed Jared a thing or two the other week. Hospitalized him, right?” he came to stand in front of her again. “Rumors had it you gave up on the brawls after Sugar threatened to expel you.”

“Sugar won’t know it was me if she never sees the bodies.”

The punk raised his hands, eyes wide as he cooed in fake fear. “Oooh, scary!”

“Lesbians sure are feisty,” one of his cronies commented. “Makes you think Skylar might not be so true to her girlfriend.”

The punk ringleader raised his head, nodding in agreement. “Very true, Devin. You know boys, Skylar likes to walk by this park some time. Maybe we should show her a real good time one of these days.”

The punks laughed.

Amelia threw the first punch, her fist landing squarely on the ringleader’s jaw. It sent him flying to the ground, hitting the hard pavement with a thump. He cried out in pain, hands flying up to cover his face. From the sting in her own hand, Amelia thought she might have dislocated his jaw.

Immediately, the others were on her. There were three of them total, counting their leader.

Amelia had already prepared for the fight, even if she really didn’t want to do it.

Fists flew, arms windmilled, shins were kicked. Amelia grabbed one of them by the collar of their jacket and threw him across a picnic table. Another was behind her. As soon as his hand was on her shoulder, she grabbed his wrist and threw him over her head. He screamed as the crook of his back slammed into a bench, slithering to the floor in a mess of pain.

The leader hadn’t returned to the fight, even after one punch. He stood now, though, holding his jaw with tears in his eyes.

“Bitch!” he shouted at her, before taking off down the road. As soon as his friends saw that their boss had disappeared, they were also gone. One was limping where Amelia had kicked him hard.

Amelia’s breath was heavy and shallow as she watched them disappear. She hadn’t given them time to lay enough hits on her, but her shoulder ached and blood welled from where one of them had scratched her arm.

“If you know what’s good for you,” she shouted after them, “you’ll tell anyone who asks that you got hit by a bus!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll don't mess with Amelia~  
> I kind of imaged rubies being a rowdy bunch when they're off duty (if they're ever off duty) but super serious and protective when they need to be. Amelia's a troublemaker with a hot red temper to match, but no one messes with Skylar and gets away with it.


	4. Breaking Fat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven is worried by June's absence.

The first bell was going to ring in two minutes. Steven’s eyes hadn’t strayed from the front doors leading into the cafeteria. As the first bell grew closer, less people were flooding through. Most had already stopped by their lockers, wanting to get to class early.

June wasn’t there.

While Amelia and Skylar and Emma were laughing, Steven was staring at the front doors. June never missed school- not if she could help it. And she was never late. Steven was sure she hadn’t been late to school a day in her life.

So where was she?

Usually, June was one of the first to arrive at the breakfast table. She got up earlier than most, being a natural morning person, and make her way to school at a brisk pace. She enjoyed walking to school alone, before most people were up, enjoying the cool morning air and quiet hum of birds.

The bell rang. June was still not there.

Steven grabbed up his backpack and swung it over his shoulder, waving farewell to his three friends as they went their separate ways to first period.

Although, throughout the day, Steven put on a smile and his usual joking manner, he couldn’t get June out of his mind. Was she sick? Was she hurt? Had she gone on vacation without telling anyone?

She had a phone. She would have texted them, right?

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter.
> 
> School work is starting to pick up, so updates are doing to be a bit more scarce, but I'll keep up as much as I can. Next chapter will be longer.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! I don't know if this AU is going to get popular or not, but it's an idea I've had for quite a while and wanted to do.
> 
> I'm going to try to stay as true to show as possible when it comes to themes, but I do have to warn you, there will be some offensive stuff in later chapters (sexism, homophobia, the works) Imagine this like the actual show except not so kid friendly and a bit more emotional- and realistic I guess.
> 
> As you've probably noticed, I gave all the gems normal human names. In case you couldn't tell, here's a little key:
> 
> Amethyst- Emma Corcoran  
> Pearl- June Seaver  
> Ruby- Amelia Rossi  
> Sapphire- Skylar Gorman
> 
> And don't worry, the other gems will be joining them soon. Staying true to the show, we'll wait a bit.
> 
> Comments, questions and concerns are always welcome!  
> (Also don't expect me to update regularly but I'll try my best)


End file.
